Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram • Hacker News Board

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#221

Post by hn_throwaway_99 » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:28 PM UTC

Retr0id wrote: post #115

EcommerceFlow wrote: post #93

This gave me a funny idea for a new social media app... One that's centered around "you" and filled with thousands/millions of LLM bots praising you, treating you like a celebrity, etc. Each of your posts will get tens of thousands of "likes", hundreds of comments, etc. Dm's straight to your feed, people wanting you, etc etc. If the newsfeed is already mostly "the algorithm", might as well take it to the extreme. I b…

There are several of these already. Example: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/socialai-ai-social-network/id6... Surprisingly, it has broadly positive reviews. Maybe Meta is onto something.

> Surprisingly, it has broadly positive reviews

Gosh, I wonder who could be leaving so many positive reviews on an app designed to have fake AI bots praise you:

> I’ve been using SocialAI for a while now, and it’s been an incredible tool for both reflection and connection. The AI-powered conversations feel tailored to my thoughts and moods, making it a great space for journaling or just venting. It’s refreshing to have a social app that focuses on you and doesn’t rely on real users, which creates a unique, private experience. I also love the therapeutic aspect, as it feels like you’re always heard and supported by a community of AI followers. Overall, it’s a fantastic tool for personal growth and mental wellness, especially if you're looking for a safe space to express yourself. Highly recommend!

Awesome, that totally sounds like a Real Human wrote that!

Add this to my "nuke it from space" bucket...

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#222

Post by lenerdenator » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:30 PM UTC

InkCanon wrote: post #77

muglug wrote: post #70

Instagram just asked if I wanted to chat with a Hawk Tuah AI bot. To me that’s the clearest possible evidence that the product people over there have basically given up. It reminds me of when Facebook went all-in on Live Video in 2016 — a product direction that pretty obviously came from the top.

It's a clear sign Meta leadership has clearly lost the plot, giving in to hype instead of any vision.

The vision is simple: drive engagement to get you to give up more information about yourself to sell to advertisers and get your eyeballs on their app to see ads made by said advertisers.

If they can get you to do that to an AI, well, why not?

... besides the obvious risks to society and mental health, which Zucc has never cared about before.

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#223

Post by worldvoyageur » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:32 PM UTC

It makes sense to me. Meta knows who their real users are and what their real users want to consume. They know who their real advertisers are and what they are willing to pay to reach their real users.

This means they know what their real users would like to consume but can't, because that content isn't being created.

Why wait and hope that content your real users want to consume gets created? Have AI create that content. Now you have more product for your advertisers to pay for, plus it is the juicy, premium rate stuff you know they'd want to buy.

With all your data, it practically automates itself.

I'm not saying all this is good, just that it totally makes sense if you are in the business of making money and see yourself as doing that by giving both your users and your advertisers what they want.

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#224

Post by _heimdall » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:32 PM UTC

ethagnawl wrote: post #185

_heimdall wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven't used Facebook itself for 7 or 8 years now, but had to break down and make a private account just to access Marketplace. For buying used cars private party today, it seems like Marketplace is the only good option.

Do sellers question the ghost account? I've had that happen to me the few times I've tried using my dev account to make inquiries.

I haven't had any issues with it. I honestly don't know how locked down a Facebook account can be these days so "ghost account" may not be the right term.

I have my name and a profile photo on there, but I've never posted anything, don't follow anyone, and all privacy setting are set to block me from search, feeds, etc.

I've only ever had one person block me after messaging about a car for sale, and I couldn't say whether it was because of the account or the questions I sent made them think I'd be an annoying buyer to deal with.

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#225

Post by o_m » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:32 PM UTC

Where is the moat? If all you want is praise from large language models then a local LLM can do that just fine right now.

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#226

Post by whydoineedthis » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:33 PM UTC

EcommerceFlow wrote: post #93

This gave me a funny idea for a new social media app... One that's centered around "you" and filled with thousands/millions of LLM bots praising you, treating you like a celebrity, etc. Each of your posts will get tens of thousands of "likes", hundreds of comments, etc. Dm's straight to your feed, people wanting you, etc etc. If the newsfeed is already mostly "the algorithm", might as well take it to the extreme. I b…

Want a partner to help build it? Count me in.

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#227

Post by whydoineedthis » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:35 PM UTC

My feed is less than 5% people posted content now anyway because friends and familly stopped posting. Ultimately, everyone posting was a fad that has faded, and we're moving back to curated content again.

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#228

Post by IG_Semmelweiss » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:36 PM UTC

EcommerceFlow wrote: post #93

This gave me a funny idea for a new social media app... One that's centered around "you" and filled with thousands/millions of LLM bots praising you, treating you like a celebrity, etc. Each of your posts will get tens of thousands of "likes", hundreds of comments, etc. Dm's straight to your feed, people wanting you, etc etc. If the newsfeed is already mostly "the algorithm", might as well take it to the extreme. I b…

Sounds like a decent plot line for idiocracy 2.0

Jokes Asier, i think this is more likely than what we want to believe.

Tiktok grew on the basis of showing you random but interesting content. If AI can do it , there's nothing preventing that from succeeding.

Itd be a new form of entertainment.

Content is already spamming the greater web. Ita bound to happen w multimedia/rich media

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#229

Post by fullshark » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:36 PM UTC

EcommerceFlow wrote: post #93

This gave me a funny idea for a new social media app... One that's centered around "you" and filled with thousands/millions of LLM bots praising you, treating you like a celebrity, etc. Each of your posts will get tens of thousands of "likes", hundreds of comments, etc. Dm's straight to your feed, people wanting you, etc etc. If the newsfeed is already mostly "the algorithm", might as well take it to the extreme. I b…

There are already plenty of video games where the user gets to live out some wish fulfillment fantasy.

Re: Meta Wants More AI Bots on Facebook and Instagram

#230

Post by InkCanon » Thu, Jan 02, 2025, 4:38 PM UTC

a2128 wrote: post #171

Facebook Meta has been making baffling bets lately. They spent tens of billions building a metaverse with the belief that people want to spend their days in a creepy legless 3d avatar of themselves that is pretty effective at simulating what it feels to have body dysphoria, playing with their other legless friends and spending a lot of money customizing their dysphoric avatars. Now they believe what users really want…

If they gave us Ready Player One or Necromancer they would have crushed it. Gibson knows what possessed them to make the best possible impression of an office space in Purgatory.